"Beauty, without expression, tires."- Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Ashley's POV
She's going to get it from me at school. Forget the use of portable devices that make communication easy-phones- we're doing this face to face, she's going to tell me why she didn't call me when she got home.
I can't just wait to get to school, a miracle it is.
Unfortunately or should I say miraculously, our car was refusing to work this morning right when we were ready for school. The same car Dylan used on Saturday, the same car we've been using for school since forever, that same car that is barely faulty, decided it's going to take a break today, It wouldn't work.
It's shocking and hilarious at the same time. You should have seen Dylan's face when it dawned on him that we'll have to use Lucas' car, Mum's words. She asked us to let Lucas drive us to school for the time being till our car was fixed, I laughed, hard, at Dylan's expression, it was obvious he didn't like the sound of that one bit. I nearly peed in my pants for laughing too much, the only thing able to shut me up was a disapproving look from Lucas.
When it was time to enter the car, I took the backseat and immediately I entered I purposefully locked both doors leaving the passenger seat for Dylan to occupy. He sent a seat-squirming glare my way before he begrudgingly opened the passenger door of the car and entered it. I plug in my earphones and listen to a few songs before we finally get to school.
Immediately Lucas parks his car, Dylan rushes out and walks away briskly, and I snicker.
"Ash, come on." Lucas turns to me.
"Don't tell me it's not funny." I raise my brows at him.
"It's actually not." Huh?!
Of course! He wants peace.
"Oh..." I trail shutting up at once.
"I think you should try and understand him."
"Understand him?" I raise my voice a tad "How?"
"It's not easy being in the same car, sitting right next to someone you dislike, a supposed enemy." A sad look crosses his face "It's suffocating, trust me."
"So you know you're his enemy?"
"Well..." his shoulders slump "I guess he's still holding on to the past."
"That's the more reason why I'm doing what I'm doing. That way he learns to let go."
"You think?" he perks up.
"Of course." I pat his shoulders.
"I don't know..." He tightens his lips "I think it's not the right way, besides you can't force someone to let go. I think he will do so, all by himself, if he wills." he shrugs.
"Well, whatever. But I don't want you uncomfortable around him, just with the thought of him not liking you."
"Trust me, I might not be okay with things now, but then it's just a season that will pass away."
"I hope it's soon."
"I hope so, too."
"Are you sure you don't want me talking to him about it?"
"Nah, I'm good."
"Are you sure? He might listen to me."
"He'll eventually come around."
"We better get going," I say and come down from the car. Lucas mirrors my actions and locks his car.
"So... Welcome to Badaney High." I spread out my arms and motion to the school buildings.
"Thanks..." Lucas shakes his head as he laughs "I guess."
"Follow me, I'm your tour guide for today."
"Okay, madame."
"So, reception first," I say and he nods.
I walk him to the reception for his timetable and locker combination.
"Hi, good morning." Our school's receptionist, Mabel's rosy lips lifts up into a bright smile and she stands up at the sight of Lucas, too bubbly if I may add. "Um..can I help you with anything." She blinks her perfectly coated mascara lashes at him.
"Yeah, I'm Lucas Linton."
"Oh... you're the new student, nice name you've got there." Her high-pitched voice pierces our eardrum as it cackles into an uproar of a breathless chuckle.
Can someone at least tell me what's worth chuckling here? The fact that she likes his name? Or the fact that she's making a mess out of herself. How old is she again?
"Uh..." Lucas says confused "I'm here for.."
"Your essentials, I know." Her manicured fingers find their way to his chest as it playfully taps almost like she was brushing off dust from the surface of his shirt.
Tap
Tap
"I'ma go get it." She winks and then leaves, and as she does so, she makes sure she sashayed her nonexistent curves. That's a hell lot of show.
After a few minutes, she shows up and hands over his things to him. She made sure her fingers brushed his and I nearly laughed in her face for acting so childish. She needs to get over herself.
"Thanks." Lucas politely whispers.
"Hope you have a nice day." She waves to Lucas as we leave.
I'm just wondering, is that another technique for welcoming new students or something, cause Whoa!
When we finally exit the office, Lucas chuckles as he shakes his head. I don't expect less.
"Why are you shaking your head?" I ask.
"That woman, whatever she said her name was, is weird."
I agree
"Why do you think so?"
"Well she..." he stops and shakes his head some more "She's hilarious."
"Kinda, let's head for your locker. What's your number."
"Locker..." he whispers it to my ears and I chuckle at his childishness.
"Okay, let's go find it, we have to be fast about it though."
As we walked in the corridors, the whisperings started. I almost forgot he's new here, it's normal. They'd get over it pretty soon.
Is that the new student?
He's so tall.
He's definitely into blondes.
I already imagine him on the soccer team.
Heartbreak follows handsome boys, Tsk.
Okay, so that particular one had me turning. As I looked in the direction of the voice, It was a girl who had shoulder-length, brown hair. And did she look look intimidating? She had this 'don't you dare joke with me' face. She looks like she'd be a year below, a junior. One other thing that caught my eye next was the girl beside her, it's that girl, the one who interrupted my confrontation with Grayson, my Savior.
"Is this how weird your students are? They stare at human beings like that?" Lucas cuts short my stare.
I shrug, I mean, should I defend them? I couldn't help but wonder. "How was it, back there?"
"Pardon?"
"How was your school like?"
"Nothing like here."
"Touchè." I feign hurt as I dramatically touch my heart.
"What I mean is, back there, no one really cared. Everyone was just living their life, minding their own business. And they don't look at you like they want to pounce on you any second."
"Well, if you listen keenly, I think they're just admiring your beauty."
"Beauty? Haha, you're very funny."
"That, I proudly am," I smirk.
"Okay, so I take back my words, it's eating into your head already." he grins.
"You're such a party pooper." I playfully hit his arm.
We finally get to the lockers, I help him find his, and as he puts in his locker combination, I let my gaze wander off. I watch as the females gawk openly at him without shame. And guess what? Blondie, Nicole Angelo was part. Yeah right! She was standing by her locker, with her two friends, or shall I say minions. She looked like she was contemplating whether she should actually approach us, specifically, Lucas. I guess popular girls have a thing for popular boys.
I turn away from her "Hand me your timetable." I say to him.
"Here." he stretches it towards me.
I take it from him and glance through "We have English, Gym and Art together. Wow...I didn't know you loved art."
"Well, I do."
"Here." I hand his timetable back to him.
"English lesson starts the day?" he mutters once he goes through it.
"Yeah" I chuckle "...you sound excited."
"I am excited, I love English."
"Okaaaaay, that's news I guess."
I allow my gaze to roam the hallway as he puts the books he wouldn't be using yet in his locker. Students were still ogling, both boys and girls, men and women. Just kidding. But seriously they were ogling at him, bad. I already saw it coming, I mean if he had that effect on my best friend how much more these little ones who swoon just at a glance, I bet the whole female population has started building a future where Lucas is included, poor them. I wish I could scream at them to mind their business and save themselves the trouble of heartbreak when he finally finds a girlfriend not from this school, or maybe in this school, but who am I to stop their fantasies? They wouldn't even listen to my advice, heck they might even think I'm trying to sabotage their shiny luck, a chance with Lucas. Fantasies and imaginations aren't bad, so I say let them fantasize some more till reality punches them in the face.
"Hurry up, we've got to get my locker too you know." I reminded him as he seemed to be taking longer.
"Almost done."
"Mmm.."
"Done."
I tagged on his arm as I pulled him to my locker, and as we walked past, students looked at us like we'd grown horns, ugly ones.
What's going on?
Why is she pulling him like that?
What's her relationship with him?
Isn't that the girl who's obsessed with Grayson?
Is this new guy her other boyfriend?
Gosh, these comments, infuriating. I wish I could just seal someone's lips with permanent glue.
Calm down!
I'm calm, I promise. Tuning out of their harsh words sounds better so I do just that, I hum Why as we walked past students and that seemed to do the trick since I was highly concentrated on my humming.
"This is your locker?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Too far from mine."
"Come on, not really."
"But it is."
"What's your big deal?"
"I wish mine was closer to yours."
"So you can scare the boys away?" I scoff.
"You mean like the guy that's been staring at you a few feet away from your locker?" He motions his head and I look in the direction.
Grayson
"Come on!, I've not asked you to."
"You never asked me to, when we were kids you know, yet you never complained. In fact, you seemed quite happy that I did scare off those boys."
"You know how I was as a kid, I didn't really like getting close to people, especially new kids. It freaked me out, and I wasn't able to utter the first three words without stuttering and I didn't like it."
"Are you saying now you're comfortable around new people? And people in general?"
"I've got a best friend, does that count?"
"Apart from her?"
"No one."
"Then I say you haven't changed much."
"A tad."
"Just a tad."
"I don't know but I'm not too comfortable around lots of people."
"You're not giving yourself enough credits. You just walked past these students who were throwing nasty comments yet you didn't flinch."
"I've seen these similar faces for years, might have been used to them already."
"Well, I don't mind going back to my old ways. You know, scare them boys off a little," he smirks an evil smirk.
"Don't you... that's an embarrassing thing to do to me. I appreciate that you're trying to be the overprotective big brother I never had, but honestly, I don't need it. I'm not a kid anymore, Luc, don't! I'm serious."
"I'm not promising anything."
I groan and he chuckles.
"Better tell that oceanic blue-eyed guy to he'd better stop watching you, else I might have to give someone a warning punch on my first day here, how classic that sounds."
"Let him be."
"I guess we're going the classic way then."
"What do you mean.." I turn to know what he meant by his statement, but the sight before me renders me speechless. Lucas wasn't by my side, rather he was a few steps away from Grayson, who looked confused just as I was.
The heck did he get there that swiftly?
*********
I'm fanning myself right now, like Lucas, what the heck? What's he even thinking?
Guess what's gonna happen? I'm guessing with you too, I honestly don't know what to expect.
Qotd: What's your favorite movie pickup line?
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